Guides/Games
Overwatch 2 FPS drops and stutter: what to check
Overwatch 2 is well optimized and runs at high frame rates on most PCs. When it drops or stutters, the cause is usually a frame rate cap, a scaling setting, or a setup mistake.
1. Frame rate cap#
In Options → Video → Display, Frame Rate decides how the game limits FPS. Custom lets you set a Frame Rate Cap. Set it to what your PC holds in a busy team fight, at least your monitor's refresh rate. With G-Sync or FreeSync, a cap a few frames below the refresh rate keeps you in the variable refresh range.
2. Reduce Buffering and Reflex#
Reduce Buffering keeps the graphics card from queuing frames ahead, which lowers input delay. NVIDIA Reflex (On or On + Boost) does the same more thoroughly on NVIDIA cards. Both lower latency; neither raises FPS.
3. Dynamic Render Scale#
With Dynamic Render Scale on, the game lowers the resolution whenever the frame rate drops, so the picture goes blurry in fights. Turn it off and set Render Scale to 100%, or use FSR to lower the cost on purpose.
4. The settings that cost the most#
Shadow Detail, Local Reflections, Ambient Occlusion and Effects Detail are the most expensive. Many players keep Model Detail and textures high for visibility and lower the rest.
Check the setup first#
These cost frames in every game and show no error, so they're worth a minute before you touch any game setting:
- Monitor in the graphics card, not the motherboard: how to tell the ports apart.
- Refresh rate set to the monitor's maximum in Windows: how to check.
- RAM at its rated speed (XMP or EXPO on): check in 30 seconds.
- RAM in dual channel: how to check.
- Game on an SSD, not a hard drive: why it matters.
- Laptop: play plugged in, set Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode to Best performance, and under Settings → System → Display → Graphics set the game to High performance so it runs on the dedicated graphics card.
Questions#
Should I turn on Reduce Buffering in Overwatch 2?
Why is Overwatch 2 blurry?
Frametide's scan checks your PC for setup problems like this one and tells you how many it found (Basic, €12.99 once). Premium (€26.99 once) shows which ones and how to fix them. Frametide measures FPS, 1% and 0.1% lows and stutters per minute in your own game with PresentMon, before and after a change, so you don't have to guess (Premium).